


Pretty Little Things

by Redangelfish098



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Light Angst, M/M, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:28:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23636062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redangelfish098/pseuds/Redangelfish098
Summary: Hakuryuu had reluctantly started something of an 'adventure' with a child magician, Judar. So far, 'nightmare' would be a better word. Discovering he was a Kou prince, exiled at the ripe old age of six years after an unsuccessful attempt on his life, had been bad enough. Having to hide in a foreign country ruled by a suspiciously trusting Fanalis king, from fear the Emperor would try to kill him again, had been worse.Though by far the most challenging aspect of the past year came to him in the form of a cursed day. Lover's Day.Not to mention the blond who's been smiling at him an awful lot lately.Inspired by 'Pretty Little Things', by The Crane Wives.
Relationships: Judal | Judar & Ren Hakuryuu, Ren Hakuryuu/Alibaba Saluja
Kudos: 26





	Pretty Little Things

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in February for a Valentine's Day challenge, and I've been debating whether or not to post it for a while. Eventually my desire for feedback won out! This takes place in a Roleswap Alternate Universe, during the equivalent of the Sindria Arc. If you have any questions about the AU itself, feel free to ask in the comments.

It's a gorgeous day. A bright blue sky, cool ocean breeze, the busy marketplace filled with people laughing and smiling. A beautiful day, as is every day in Muudria. Though something in the air is even more enthusiastic than usual. Couples. Hanging on each others' arms, exchanging playful kisses, swinging their entwined hands together as they merrily meander through the island kingdom.

King Muu is a man known for his kindness, as well as his tendency to go ‘overboard’ when it comes to festivities. Red and pink flowers and ornaments already adorn nearly every shop and person. The very instant the day darkens into night, dozens of fireworks the colors of blush and ruby lipstick will explode in the Muudrian sky, and the festival will officially begin. Hakuryuu inwardly sighs. Apparently too heavily, because it bleeds into reality.

“What, put-out cause you couldn’t get a date? Grow up!” The ten year old proceeds to swallow a handful of peach-flavored chocolates that Hakuryuu had indulged him in, with an annoyed huff. Judar grips the half empty bag (Half empty?! He just got that this morning!) In one hand while waving away Hakuryuu’s poor mood with the other. Hakuryuu only resists an eye roll due to his aforementioned poor mood.

“It’s not that…” He sighs again, rubbing his hands together and causing Judar’s brow to furrow. “It’s just… I have a terrible suspicion that Sir Alibaba’s going to do something stupid.” Hakuryuu rubs his neck this time, spying a couple cuddling on a bench together and feeling his face twitch. 

“Been there, done that, buddy. He started a war, remember? Pretty sure doing stupid things is part of his personality.” Judar, not quite catching his meaning, shoves the messily retied bag in his pocket and folds his hands behind his head. Hakuryuu decides not to point out the young magi’s contradiction. He’s always the one egging Hakuryuu on to start a civil war in Kou, isn’t he? But, knowing Judar, he’d probably explain this discrepancy away with a simple: ‘Well, you’re better than him’, and Hakuryuu would never get more information, no matter how much he prodded him.

“I’m aware of that. I was referring to something more ignorant than usual.” He gestures vaguely to the gaudy decorations and sickeningly tender atmosphere. “You know how… sentimental the former prince can be.” Hakuryuu himself certainly doesn’t need a reminder. The blond’s breakdown in Amon had been embarrassing enough for all of them. Not to mention the look he had given Hakuryuu when the he attempted to motivate him. All Hakuryuu offered was companionship through the dungeon; people Alibaba could rely on, as he lacked the power to face the dungeon creatures. That look, the wide and sparkling golden eyes, the small smile as he took Hakuryuu’s hand, would not leave his mind…

“Wait. Your date is the crybaby war criminal?!” Judar literally leaps into the air in surprise, hovering several inches above the ground his jaw just dropped on. “I knew you were getting desperate… but this is a new low!” Despite his biting words Judar seems more outright baffled than disgusted or angry. And… is that amusement sneaking somewhere in his tone? How dare he.

“It’s one-sided, believe me. I simply hope Sir Alibaba won’t embarrass himself in public.” His defense sounds weak even to his own ears, and Judar reflects this in an exaggerated grimace. Then, to rub salt in the wound, he laughs. A number of faces glance their way but most of them are occupied with each other. The few who do stare are spooked away by Hakuryuu’s staring back. He's not exactly a friendly-looking guy. If someone needed proof of this unfriendly attitude, it would only take a few more seconds of Judar’s earsplitting cackling…

“Oh man! You really like him, huh? Lemme see, do you loooove him?” Judar closes in on Hakuryuu’s face and squeezes his cheeks. Hakuryuu scoffs and tries to push him away, but Judar is determined and the push is half-hearted at best. “That’s so lame! Is he gonna buy you flowers?” He goes to laugh again but, seeing Hakuryuu’s expression, reorients his feet on the ground and looks up, suddenly serious. “What’s the deal, my king? Why’s this guy gotten so under your skin?” Or, as serious as a child with chocolate smudged all over his face and a short attention span can get. He tilts his head, hands on his hips, kicking up a small patch of dirt while he waits for a response.

Hakuryuu chews the inside of his cheek. He needs to come up with an answer now. One that will satisfy Judar without giving away too much information. Ah, but if he says a word about the little blossom beginning to grow in his chest, it might just surge out of his throat and spill all of his secrets, lay every single one bare for Judar to pick through as he pleases. So, he has a dilemma. The crimson eyes across from him narrow; his time is running out before Judar loses his patience and attempts another strategy to get him to speak.

“I… admire him.” The words don’t taste right and Hakuryuu frowns. “He may be a tad unpredictable- overly sensitive, quick to anger- but he has this… this light about him.” Hakuryuu’s hands grasp for something in the air he can’t quite manage to articulate. 

Judar’s face is comically blank. “You know I have difficulty articulating my feelings.” Judar blinks and crosses his arms. “Okay, I’ll… try to explain it better.”

Hakuryuu takes a moment to think, yet all the thoughts he’s ever had of Alibaba come bubbling to the surface of his consciousness. The roughness of his hands from swordplay. When strands of yellow hair, shimmering in the light, slip out of his messy ponytail. The way he laughs, warm and bright, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. Those eyes- sunshine, honey, fire- all swirling together in amber and dandelion yellow. Judar waves a hand in front of his face and Hakuryuu clears his throat. 

“Uh, as I said, he’s sentimental. He, uh, cares a lot. About everything.” From every citizen of his country to each ladybug flittering in the breeze. He feels all of the joy and shame, all of the sorrow and rage, with such an intensity that it itself is like a roaring blaze tearing through every fiber of his being. It’s terrifying, and incredible. Hakuryuu shakes off his internal monologue to chuckle and change the topic, but one look at Judar reveals he’s spoken every syllable aloud.

“Why don’cha go ahead and marry him, since you like him so much?” Oh no. Now he’s pouting. Judar kicks the dirt again, harder than before. He stiffens his shoulders and turns his back. Hakuryuu sighs.

“That’s- that’s ridiculous, Judar. I was clearly exaggerating.” Hakuryuu lets out the awkward chuckle he held in before but the small magi is nowhere near impressed. Hakuryuu clears his throat as his eyes stray everywhere except Judar's face. "Besides, we could never be in a relationship. No, it would not go well for either of us…" His laugh sounds hollow this time, running a hand through his hair that pulls too tight. 

As Judar said, Alibaba was a war criminal. And Hakuryuu happened to be a former prince (he still wasn't certain of his status- long lost? Exiled? Was he a ghost of the past that would be silenced if the Emperor ever caught wind he was still alive?) Of the very country hunting him down. Not to mention their individual issues. Hakuryuu's nightmares of fire and blood were not the only things that haunted him. And he could tell worse things were tangled in the jumbled knot that was Alibaba Saluja. Neither of them were exactly prepared for a serious commitment at the moment.

Judar's loud, almost obnoxious sigh distracts him from the abyss extending ever deeper. "If you're gonna be such a baby about it, you might as well spend the festival with him! I know you'll just brood in your room the rest of the week if you don't." Hakuryuu opens his open to contest this but thinks better of it. It's not as if he hasn't done that before… besides, it was only one day, right? 

His voice is heavy with reluctance as he speaks, still not entirely convinced. "If Sir Alibaba does, by some chance, ask me to, I will consider spending the festival with him as my… 'date'." Hakuryuu feels the downturn of his lips, feels his features tense up as if he was wincing. 

Judar's face scrunches and he shakes his head. Though they both know that's the most Hakuryuu's going to say about the subject. At last, the conversation ends when Judar pivots on his heel towards the market and complains that Hakuryuu owes him more sweets for sitting through his 'pining'. Hakuryuu acquiesces.

***

Sunset paints the island brilliant hues of hibiscus violet and candy red. The crowds have already migrated to the festival's location and made themselves comfortable. Hakuryuu, considerably less comfortable, nurses a bitter drink and a growing headache. Seated on a far bench, he eyes the excitable pairs and scowls to himself. Night was nearly upon them and Alibaba was nowhere in sight. He takes another gulp of the tart liquid and instantly regrets it. Alcohol is not his forte, but what else is he supposed to do? Judar had disappeared somewhere and left him alone on Lover's Day. 

This is what he should have expected. The glint of hope for something different just made the inevitable sting worse. Another swig lends itself to another string of slurred curses. As the sun dips below the horizon and the bulk of the sky shifts into blue and black, lanterns are lit and offer a warm glow. They're too bright. And the music of drums is too loud; every time a membrane is hit it sends vibrations thudding around his pounding skull. Hakuryuu was liking Muudria less and less each day. He hears a sniffle and it takes a second too long for him to realize it's coming from himself.

"Hey. You look a little lonely." Hakuryuu's head swivels to meet that voice, causing another wave of pain. He winces and a hand runs over his back. Gold eyes, gold hair, and a golden smile. 

Alibaba quirks his head and Hakuryuu mumbles something even he can't decipher. Maybe something about the boy's twisted sense of keeping him in suspense? Alibaba laughs at whatever it is and Hakuryuu can't bring himself to care about how he may have just embarrassed himself. It must be the drink causing the heat to rise in his face and his palms to get clammy.

"Didn't- didn't think you were gonna be coming. Ju left me. But 'm okay. No need to- to pity me." He hiccups and wipes his chin. Surely he didn't have that much to drink? Half the mug and his mind is stuttering. Alibaba is close enough to count his eyelashes and Hakuryuu forgets to shrink away. The pounding of his heart is louder than the drums and more painful than his headache.

"Seems like you've got the 'pity' part covered for yourself…" Alibaba looks him over, squeezed into the corner of an empty bench and hunched over a drink too strong for him. His brows furrow and Hakuryuu sees something more like sympathy. "I… sorry I took so long. I wasn't sure if I should come at all." A shadow passes over his eyes but he quickly shakes it away. 

"I remembered that you would be here. I knew you hated parties but I also knew Judar could drag you anywhere if he whined enough." He flashes another smile and Hakuryuu smiles back without thinking. "So I finally sucked up my own self pity, you're aware by now I have plenty of that, and decided to show my face. I haven't left my room in a while!" Alibaba laughs again. "So yeah. I'm here. Because, well… I wanted to see you." The hand still lingering over Hakuryuu's back runs over it again, gently. "Happy Lover's Day, Hakuryuu. You wanna spend it with me?"

How effortless Alibaba can be with his words will always startle him. Those amber eyes twinkle like the starlight, his wide grin like the sunrise to come. Hakuryuu breathes, reading himself to reply, but a hush falls over the noisy crowd. Panic crawls across his skin until the first firework goes off. A pale pink, vivid against the indigo night. Small needles change to goosebumps when Alibaba grabs his hand.

Hakuryuu shakily stands with him as they watch the vibrant lights. He's too absorbed by the fireworks to notice when Alibaba starts pulling him away from the festival lanterns. He makes a small noise of complaint, but Alibaba smiles back at him and he obediently follows.

"I wanted to give you something." Alibaba feels around in the dirt and darkness a short distance away from the celebration. He reaches his hand in a small nook in cracked stone and pulls out a large sack. Not exactly what Hakuryuu was expecting. He has to squint to see anything, faint light from the festivities barely enough to discern any details. "I, uh, didn't want anyone else to see it. They wouldn't get it." Alibaba scratches his cheek (nervous?) Before untying the sack. A firework bursting gives more light, and Hakuryuu spies the outline of small, knarled branches.

Alibaba fiddles with taking the bottom of the plant out, another bag underneath it. "It's, um, a dying flower bush. You like plants." He holds one hand under it and one hand on its stem, shuffling and swallowing. "I-I thought you'd like to- to uh, help it. With Zagan. Keep it in your room, maybe. I tried to get all the roots…" Alibaba's smile is less sure this time and he blinks at Hakuryuu, expecting some kind of strong reaction.

"Oh, Alibaba…" Hakuryuu feels that flower curling around his heart tighten, he feels the bloom's petals open a little more and feels the thorns dig in a little more. "This… this is so sweet…" He feels the tears in his eyes before he knows why they're there. Hakuryuu wants this. He wants to fall into Alibaba's arms more than anything but knows those thorns will only dig in more and more until they tear him apart. Both of them are flawed and fractured, mix-matched puzzle pieces that don't fit together. But…

"But…?" Hakuryuu meets his gaze and wishes he hadn't. He wants to run off and never face him again, wants to cover his ears and never hear him utter another kind word, but Hakuryuu isn't sure if he would survive it. Alibaba kneels to the ground and carefully places the flower bush down. Then he looks back at Hakuryuu. 

He closes his eyes and Hakuryuu almost thinks he won't have to be the one to bring this to an end. Yet Alibaba opens them again, and instead of resigned they are determined. Like fire. Hakuryuu takes a step back as Alibaba takes two steps forward.

"You're an incredible person, Hakuryuu. You're strong and thoughtful and smarter than I could ever be. And I love you." Alibaba stares on and Hakuryuu can't look away. He tries to slow his traitorous heart and rationalize. They're just words, just pretty words, just empty, pretty words-

"I love you, Hakuryuu. I won't give up on that." He takes both of Hakuryuu's hands and stares through his soul. Hakuryuu wonders if he can see it, see the charred pieces of him and the weeds crawling through his bones like Hakuryuu can see his shattered ribs and bleeding heart.

They're just words but Alibaba makes them seem like everything and more. Hakuryuu doesn't trust himself to say them back. 

He hopes a kiss will suffice.


End file.
